Submergible bridge

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure is directed to a bridge construction which submerges below the surface of a body of water so that the vessel passes over the bridge rather than under or between two raised sections. The side rail structure of the bridge is constructed to pivot along the major axis of the bridge so that upon submerging the bridge the side rail construction pivots and lies flat on the bridges transportation surface to (a) not interfere with the vessel which will pass thereover and (b) to provide a screen area to keep debris carried by the body of water from being deposited directly on the transportation surface. A buoyancy-gravity device is connected to the pivotally actuated side rails to cause the rails to be flat and cover the transportation surface when the bridge submerges and which device will cause the side rails to pivot to their erect raised condition when the bridge is raised to its surface condition which will cast any debris deposited upon the bridge during its submergence back into the body of water leaving a clear transportation surface top side of the bridge.

United States Patent 1 1 H11 3,908,217

Lapeyre Sept. 30, 1975 i 1 SUBMERGIBLE BRIDGE [75] Inventor: James M. Lapeyre, New Orleans, [57] ABSTRACT The present disclosure is directed to a bridge con- I struction which submcrges below the surface of a [73] Asslgncc" The La'tram Corporatlon, New body of water so that the vessel passes over the bridge Orlemw rather than under or between two raised sections. The [22] Filed; Oct 22 974 side rail structure of the bridge is constructed to pivot 7 I along the major axis of the bridge so that upon sub- Appl- 5171038 merging the bridge the side rail construction pivots and lies flat on the bridges transportation surface to 521 U.S. Cl. 14/42; 14/1 not interfere with the vessel which will P there- [51] Int. Cl. E01D 15/02 Over and (b) to PKWidc Screen area to keep debris [58] Field of Search 14/42, 27. 2s. 29. 58, carried y the y of water from being deposited 1 5 1. 53 reetly on the transportation surface. A buoyancy gravity device is connected to the pivotally actuated [56] References Cited side rails to cause the rails to be flat and cover the UNITED STATES PATENTS transportation surface when the bridge submerges and which device will cause the side rails to pivot to their erect raised condition when the bridge is raised to its A AR 2/1921 Blondclmi {4/28 surface condition which will cast any debris deposited Primary E.\'aminerNile C. Byers, Jr. Attorney. Agent. or Firm-Wilkinson, Mawhinney & Theibault upon the bridge during its submergence back into the body of water leaving a clear transportation surface top side of the bridge.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures US. Patent Sept. 30,1975 Sheet 1 of3 3,908,217

F/G. 23 i 2 US. Patent Sept. 30,1975 shw 2 of3 3,908,217

US. Patent S ept. 30,1975 Sheet 3 of3 3,908,217

FIG. 5

SUBMERGIBLE BRIDGE An object of the present invention is the elimination of large raised bridge structures which are costly to erect and maintain and which are subject to damage by weather elements and to replace same with a low profile construction which has a shorter operating distance and which has minimum structural exposure to tornados and hurricanes.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a bridge which travels a minimum distance and over which the vessel passes and which has side rails which fold down to protect the bridges transportation surface from the collection thereon of debris while the bridge is submerged and which expels debris from the bridge when it is raised for the passage of pedestrian and vehicular traffic over its transportation surface.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention will be more fully described hereinafter and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings in which like parts are denoted by reference characters throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view with parts broken away and parts shown in section of a bridge constructed in accordance with the present invention raised to its transportation mode.

FIG. 2 is a transverse section taken on the lines 22 of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views similar to FIG. 1 with the bridge submerged to its vessel passing mode.

FIG. 5 is a transverse section of the bridge of FIG. 1 showing the side rails folded down so that debris may pass thereover while submerged.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 with the bridge shown in a raising attitude with the side rails expelling debris from the bridges transportation surface.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 designates a body of water such as a river or stream over which is positioned a bridge structure 11 connecting a roadway 12. On each side of the body of water are bridge support casements l3 and 14 in which are mounted bridge operating counterweights l5, 16 connected to cables 17, 18. The cables 17, 18 pass over drums 19,20 which are driven by motors 21, 22 while the other end of the cables l7, 18 are connected to the bridge structure 11 for raising and lowering the bridge structure between the positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

Side or guard rails 23 are secured to the bridge structure 11 by a pivotal connection 24 so that they may be maintained in their erected position of FIGS. 1 and 2 or their submerged mode position of FIG. 4 when the bridge is lowered to permit a vessel 25 to pass thereover The actuating mechanism for raising and lowering the side rails comprises an arm 26 secured at one end to the side rails at an angle below the horizontal from the pivotal connection and carrying a buoyant member 27 which when submerged will float as shown in FIGS 4 and 5 causing the side or guard rails 23 to lie flat and protect the transportation surface of the bridge from the deposit of debris thereon while submerged As shown in FIG. 5 when the bridge 11 is submerged debris 28 such as logs, tree branches or auto tires may pass over the bridge 11 and if the guard rails 23 did not closely abut one another in their lowered condition to shield the the transportation surface from deposit of debris thereon when the bridge is raised, an attendant would have to clear the transportation surface before opening the bridge to traffic As shown in FIG. 6, the bridge has just cleared the water and the buoyant member 27 has by gravity fall become a weight on the lever arm 26 which causes the side rails 23 to raise from the position of FIGS. 4 and 5 to that of FIGS. 1 and 2 thereby discharging the debris 28 back into the body of water and rendering the bridge transportation surface subject to pedestrian or vehicular traffic.

What I claim is:

l. A bridge comprising, bridge structure support means, bridge means mounted in said support means to be lowered beneath the surface of the water for a vessel to pass over said bridge, side rail means carried by each side of said bridge means and movable between an erect and flat condition relative to said bridge, and side rail activating means connected to each side rail to cause said side rails to lie flat on said bridge when said bridge is submerged and to be raised erect when said bridge is elevated above the surface of the water over which the bridge is constructed.

2. A bridge as claimed in claim 1 wherein said side rail means is pivoted to said bridge along the major axis of said bridge.

3. A bridge as claimed in claim 2 wherein said side rail activating means is a buoyant means mounted on one end of an arm while the other end of said arm is secured to said side rails so that as the buoyant member commences to float incident to the submerging of the bridge the side rails will rotate about their pivot and lie flat on the bridge and when said bridge is raised above the water surface the buoyant means will fall by gravity causing the side rails to become erect.

4. A bridge as claimed in claim 3 wherein said side rails when lowered about the pivot will substantially abut one another so that no debris will collect upon the transportation surface of the bridge but will only collect on said side rails.

5. A bridge as claimed in claim 4 wherein said arm to which said buoyant means is connected to said side rails at an angle below the horizontal of the side rail pivots so that upon raising of the bridge the buoyant means will drop by gravity causing the side rails to rise to the erect condition and dump any debris collected thereon into the body of water over which said bridge is constructed leaving a clear transportation surface on said bridge. 

1. A bridge comprising, bridge structure support means, bridge means mounted in said support means to be lowered beneath the surface of the water for a vessel to pass over said bridge, side rail means carried by each side of said bridge means and movable between an erect and flat condition relative to said bridge, and side rail activating means connected to each side rail to cause said side rails to lie flat on said bridge when said bridge is submerged and to be raised erect when said bridge is elevated above the surface of the water over which the bridge is constructed.
 2. A bridge as claimed in claim 1 wherein said side rail means is pivoted to said bridge along the major axis of said bridge.
 3. A bridge as claimed in claim 2 wherein said side rail activating means is a buoyant means mounted on one end of an arm while the other end of said arm is secured to said side rails so that as the buoyant member commences to float incident to the submerging of the bridge the side rails will rotate about their pivot and lie flat on the bridge and when said bridge is raised above the water surface the buoyant means will fall by gravity causing the side rails to become erect.
 4. A bridge as claimed in claim 3 wherein said side rails when lowered about the pivot will substantially abut one another so that no debris will collect upon the transportation surface of the bridge but will only collect on said side rails.
 5. A bridge as claimed in claim 4 wherein said arm to which said buoyant means is connected to said side rails at an angle below the horizontal of the side rail pivots so that upon raising of the bridge the buoyant means will drop by gravity causing the side rails to rise to the erect condition and dump any debris collected thereon into the body of water over which said bridge is constructed leaving a clear transportation surface on said bridge. 